Rescued Turkey Stock Food

RESCUED TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• First, you need a turkey carcass, stripped of all its meat; if you're lucky, you'll be at someone's home and they'll be throwing it away-- that's the time to shout, I'll take it!
• You will also likely discover that you'll be able to rescue a lot of meat off the carcass; this is a bonus, since you now have the meat for the soup as well.
• Try to make the stock the day after the turkey was cooked, but if you have to wait another day or so, that's okay; it'll taste best, though, if you can get to it soon.
• Let's get started; first, get out a large pot.
• Next, start to strip off any meat clinging to the carcass; put this in a container and set aside; note that this is a hands-on job and you will get a little messy; that's okay, both your hands and your counter wash up easily.
• As you are stripping off the meat (don't fret, you won't get it ALL, some stubbornly clings to the bones and that's okay, it too flavours the stock), continue to break up the bones and put them in the pot; also put in the pot any turkey skin and all the other assorted"bits" that aren't edible meat.
• When you have the pot full of bones, pour the cold water over and turn heat to high; bring to a boil.
• Now wash up and prepare the veggies and parsley; make sure to leave the onion skin ON as it gives your stock a lovely rich colour.
• When the stock comes to a boil, add all remaining ingredients and turn heat down to a lightly bubbling simmer, the type where the bubbles barely break the surface.
• Now let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring every once in a while.
• I much prefer letting it reduce down to where I'll only get 7 or 8 cups of stock; I find the flavour much better and stronger, even if I have to add water when making the soup.
• If you only let it simmer till you have about 12 cups of stock, it will be ready sooner but the flavour is much weaker.
• Once you feel your stock is ready, strain it through a fine-meshed sieve into a large bowl; if your sieve is not fine, line it first with cheesecloth; discard the bones and veggies you used to make the stock, all their goodness is now in your stock.
• Refrigerate stock, covered, for several hours or preferably overnight; then you can either make soup the next day, or freeze the stock; make sure you skim off the solidified fat before you either make soup or freeze the stock.

TURKEY STOCK

Steps:

• Break the carcass into pieces in a large stock pot.
• Add water, dressing, vegetables and peppercorns.
• Heat to boiling, skim off any foam on the surface, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 4 hours.
• Stir from time to time to make sure there aren't any 'hot spots' scorching on the bottom.
• Add salt to taste as you go along, not all at once.
• After four hours, remove large chunks to a bowl and discard.
• Carefully drain stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl.
• Ladle into freezer containers, cover and set in the fridge overnight.
• On the following day, skim off the fat that has congealed on top.
• Cover the containers, label and date and freeze until needed.

TURKEY-BARLEY SOUP

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms; sprinkle thyme on veggies and continue to saute until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Pour turkey stock into a large pot (if you have less than 8 cups of stock, add water to make up difference) and whisk in the tomato paste; stir in sauteed veggies; turn heat to high.
• Stir in barley, vinegar, salt and pepper.
• When soup comes to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 hour, or until barley is tender.
• Stir in turkey meat and continue to simmer just until soup is heated through.